Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Brie

Tristan burst into laughter.

“Brie, relax!” he said in between laughs. “You’re so funny. I just want to help you. The drink is really bad on your dress.”

I twitched my lips and slowly turned around, even though I knew this was going to be hard.

I gulped when he stepped closer and helped me with the T-shirt. I wanted to disappear. It was almost impossible to control how hard my heart was slamming against my chest.

“You’re good now. We can leave,” he muttered, stepping back as he gripped my wrist.

We walked back downstairs to the party, and almost immediately, girls started drooling over Tristan because he wasn’t wearing a shirt anymore. His abs and muscles were on full display.

“He is the hottest man on earth!” I heard a girl gush.

“I know, right?” another added.

I couldn’t control the blush creeping onto my cheeks.

Serena didn’t waste a second. She pushed through the crowd and dragged him straight to the dance floor. I hissed under my breath and went back to my spot, taking a seat like nothing bothered me.

Not long after, Tristan returned, saying he could take me home, Mom had called. Serena also insisted she wanted to be dropped off first.

So the three of us walked straight to Tristan’s car. Serena hurried to the front passenger seat, while I slipped quietly into the back.

Tristan started driving. Not even a minute later, Serena leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, running her hands on his bare abs.

My heart twisted painfully, I seriously didn't want to watch this.

“Brie, I was wondering,” she said suddenly, glancing at me through the mirror.

“Do you ever find Tristan hot? Like… has your heart ever raced so badly because you wanted him?”

A hiccup escaped my throat.

“Serena, stop,” Tristan cut in before I could answer. “We’re just best friends.”

“Really?” she pressed, sounding amused. “So you’ve never had those kinds of thoughts about Brielle? Even if you saw her naked, you wouldn’t feel anything?”

I cringed, my face tightening in pure discomfort. Why was she asking something like that?

The car went painfully quiet.“You’re asking uncomfortable questions,” Tristan said.

“They shouldn’t be uncomfortable if there’s nothing there. You just need to answer,” Serena replied.

“I haven’t thought about that,” he said shortly. “Satisfied?”

She scoffed. “Okay, but I bet Brie wants you. I bet she’s imagining all sorts of things in her head. I mean, that’s why she follows you around. But she knows she can never.”

She laughed.

I pressed my lips together hard.

“Get out.”

The car stopped abruptly, the sudden force jerking us forward.

“Tristan, I was just—”she tried explaining.

“Just get out, Serena,” he said coldly.

“Fine. Fuck yourselves,” she snapped, opening the car door and slamming it shut behind her.

Tristan didn’t spare her a single glance as he drove off.

I sat frozen in the backseat, my heart still racing.

I wasn’t sure why he did that.

I thought he was hitting on her… or at least interested.

“Are you okay?” Tristan asked, his eyes flicking to me from the rearview mirror as he tried to keep his focus on the road.

“Yeah… I’m fine,” I lied. I probably wasn’t.

“What about Serena? You’re leaving her on the street at this hour? I thought you were interested in her,” I asked, curiosity creeping into my voice.

“She crossed the line,” Tristan said, his jaw tight. “I don’t tolerate people joking with you. She’s disrespecting you.”

My heart melted.

I didn’t even know what to think, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up that he liked me. It was probably just because we’d been friends for so long.The rest of the drive with Tristan was quiet. He pulled up in front of my house, and I climbed out of the car.

“Will I probably see you during the weekend, Brie?” he asked from inside the car.

“I don’t know, Tris.”

“You’ll have to return my T-shirt,” he added.

I glanced down at myself. Yeah, I was still wearing it.

“Okay… Sunday?” I asked, already anticipating it.

“Yeah…” Tristan said, then drove off almost immediately.

I stood there for a moment, then let out a deep breath before heading inside.

“Brie…” Mom called out as soon as I stepped inside. She was in the living room.

“Mom,” I said, and she smiled widely, stepping forward to pull me into a hug.

“I told Tristan to bring you home. I had an important announcement to make,” she said after pulling away.

She looked unusually excited, and I was already suspecting something good had happened. Maybe she finally got that promotion at work.

She held her hand out toward me, and I sucked in a breath when I saw the engagement ring.

My eyes widened. “Mom—what?”I rushed into her arms.

“I’m engaged, Brie!” she squealed, hugging me just as tightly.

“I’m so excited, Mom. I never saw this coming,” I said honestly.

I really was happy for her. Ever since Dad died, Mom had been lonely.

She pulled back, holding both my arms now. “You wouldn’t believe who I’m getting married to.”

“Who?”

“Charles Langford. Tristan’s father,” she said. My heart stopped.

Everything inside me shifted at once.

“Brie? Did you hear me?” she asked, noticing my sudden silence.

“Tristan’s… father?” I

repeated.

“Yes!” she beamed. “Tristan is going to be your stepbrother. Isn’t that amazing?”